Embargo

It was a quiet night on highway 95, a lone truck with its gas pedal all the way down blares its way down the open road. The driver keeps glancing in the rearview mirror, scanning the road ahead, his fingers white knuckled on the wheel. All he had to do was make it into Vegas, to get into the city and drop off this load as quickly as he could at some bars then get the hell out.

All seemed alright as the city skylight hit the horizon, but just as the sigh of relief escaped his lips a deafening POP echoed from the truck as he struggled to skid to a halt. Screeching on the brakes he rolls onto the shoulder, hands quivering and sweat beading on his brow. The driver locks his door and looks in the rear view mirror to see the night lit with what seemed to be hundreds of reflective eyes and a cacophony of unsettling laughter.


The gnolls had made quick work of the truck's cargo, hauling out pallet after pallet of top shelf liquor. The pack of hyenas worked with such vigor and efficiency, earning a mountain of booze at the side of the road as two began to try to wrench open the door to the truck to get at the driver, who at this point was screaming and searching for his firearm frantically. Meanwhile some of the gnolls in charge of the contraband took the time to pop the top of the bottle off some of the liquor and downing several tons of booze before throwing a lighter on their mountain of booze, letting it all go ablaze, just before it reached the embargoed city.

Isroh’s orders were to stop any trucks suspected of carting in fuel or liquor and dispose of the smuggler. Step one was complete as evidenced by the now blazing pile of bottles, however step two was hindered by a locked truck door. A gnoll retrieves her flail, taking a few wild swings at the door, reveling in the groan of metal as it begins to cave. Two more gnolls leap to the top of the cap, jumping up and down on the roof, watching the metal bend under their concussive weight and another hops on the hood, moving to swing at the windshield with her own flail. It wouldn’t be long before a smuggler joined the booze in fire’s embrace.

As the Gnoll on the hood raised the maul over its head, the drivers fate a mere swing away, there was a bright flash in the dark, as a red beam engulfed the Gnolls head, leaving behind a cauterized neck stump, and smoke.

The creature collapsed, sliding off the hood of the truck, as a second beam hit the two other Gnolls on the roof, going clean through both of them, and leaving a massive hold through their torsos, right where their hearts would be.

“Okay, when the someone told me some huge coyotes had attacked a liquor truck on the highway, the last thing I was thinking was this...” A robotic figure stepped into the light of the bonfire, looking around at the group of Gnolls. “No matter, the games over, time to head back to whatever dungeon you beasts crawled out of.” He raised an arm, aiming the wrist blaster.

Someone was stopping booze and oil from getting into the city. Sven had told him earlier tonight, the AI’s voice chirping through headphones pressed into his right ear. Cool room of the  hotel empty now, save for the low hum of the air conditioning. At that time he had been thinking through if he cared about that and if it were worth looking into. Well, there had to be a reason for it beyond simply someone keeping the good stuff from pouring into the city. It sounded like something that his father would do, a play towards goals that were something normal humans couldn’t hope to catch. It was enough to move him into motion, wanting to see what was happening around the city and if it was something to stop.

Lucas wouldn’t be missing him too long. He seemed to be busy with something that was drawing his attention elsewhere, including rumors about their father returning from the dead. If it were possible, it wasn’t something that he wanted to think about. The were other things, far more important things. A thick bound book of alchemical formulae he carried around with him, steadily learning Flamel’s art  as thoroughly as he could.

Despite all these things, tonight he was looking into what was embargoing the city. No government entity was doing it, that would have been across the news but someone was taking it upon himself to do so. Insidious small motions, likely precursors to a larger plan yet he couldn’t figure out what yet.  Maybe this could be the first step, or even his only step. ”Sven, leave a note that I’ll be out for the night,” He spoke into his helmets small receiver, knowing the Ai would hear what he said. Making sure his outfit was all  together, down to the boots and the helmet with tinted visor.

Research led to him watching the lonely highway 95, mind taking in every single detail about the scene. The truck driving down and the strange figures moving through the shadows of night. Barely lit by the headlights of the large truck. They didn’t see what was coming until they creatures were already upon them, taking the many bottles of expensive booze and even drinking down down like pigs.  That was followed by a conflagration to destroy what they couldn’t drink down.

It was very...human.

More were tormenting the driver it seemed, which meant it was time to act. That being until he saw someone else move, a figure of metal and lasers that tore through a few of the creatures with no issue. The other gnolls seemed to be turning towards the strange figure, and he moved into action too. Forming a rune in the midst of a cluster of four gnolls. They didn’t really notice it, not until the earth twisted into massive spikes of earth that rammed through the dog creatures. One hoisted up into the air before falling in half, entrails and blood splattering across the ground. The others ripped apart by the shear piercing force as well.

”Not quite yet. I want to know what’s causing these things to do this,” His voice came filtered through the mask, hands rested at his side but eyes looking around at all factors before him.